DON'T BLOCK HER
Tim to Sat on Tunapuna Hindu School principal:
By Kimberly Castillo
Story Created: Nov 20, 2011 at 10:49 PM ECT
Story Updated: Nov 20, 2011 at 10:49 PM ECT
The row between Tunapuna Hindu Primary School principal Sita Gajadharsingh-Nanga and secretary-general of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha Sat Maharaj entered another phase yesterday, with Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh's announcement that the principal must be allowed to resume her duties today.
At a news conference yesterday at the Ministry's head office in St Clair, he said his Ministry fully supports the ruling by the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) that she must go back to her job.
"Given that this matter was initially referred to the Teaching Service Commission for investigation, and in light of the fact that the said Commission is an independent institution of the State, the Ministry of Education must act according to the rulings of the Teaching Service Commission until it completes its investigations into this matter and delivers its final judgment," Gopeesingh said.
"Therefore its ruling that the principal should be allowed to resume her duties until otherwise directed is binding and will be supported by the Ministry of Education," he added.
On Saturday, the TSC, in a paid advertisement in the newspapers, said it had instructed the Ministry to allow Gajadharsingh-Nanga to report for work today. The TSC stated clearly that while the investigation was ongoing, Gajadharsingh-Nanga should carry out her duties as principal at the school.
The threat of violence was raised on Friday by Maharaj, who said he feared the principal's presence at the school could evoke a violent reaction from parents who wanted her out of the school.
He said, therefore, the education board of the SDMS was prepared to continue to prevent her from entering the school compound.
However, Gopeesingh said any act of violence will not be tolerated and the law will deal with any volatile situation, should the need arise.
"Regarding media reports of the alleged threat of violence in the matter, I want to make it abundantly clear that this is untenable and unacceptable and has no place, especially in the nation's schools and the wider society. This will not be tolerated in our schools," Gopeesingh stated emphatically.
He called for good sense to prevail by all parties directly involved in this matter, and also urged the SDMS board, parents and principal of the Tunapuna Hindu Primary School to arrive at a peaceful compromise while a final decision is reached in this issue.
The Education Minister, Maha Sabha education board of management, Gajadharsingh-Nanga and the TSC will meet today at 11 a.m. at the Ministry of Education.
Prior to this, however, Gajadharsingh-Nanga is expected to take up her duties at the school from 8 a.m.
Gopeesingh also defended his handling of the situation, reiterating that from the very outset, the Education Ministry did not have a direct role in the matter.
The Maha Sabha board and the principal complained to the TSC—an independent institution of the State—and, as such, the TSC was mandated and legally empowered to conduct an investigation into the matter, he said.
"...I have a duty to ensure that no investigation into any matter in the education sector, including this one, is tainted by any comments from me or any other Ministry of Education official that would lend to the perception of bias in any form or fashion. I was executing my duties in a proper manner and for this I make no apologies," he said.
The controversial situation at the Tunapuna Hindu Primary School gained nationwide attention on November 9, when People's National Movement MP Patricia McIntosh read a letter in Parliament which was written by Gajadharsingh-Nanga to the TSC earlier this year.
In the letter, the principal claimed she was ordered by Maharaj to block the enrollment of children of African ethnicity into the school.
She also alleged that Maharaj instructed her to remove any African children from the school and to reject trainees of the On-the-Job training programme who were non-Indian and non-Hindu.
Maharaj had denied this, saying he was being vilified as a "black hater". He counter-accused Gajadharsingh-Nanga of not ensuring Hindu prayers were said at the school and not enforcing a proper dress-code for teachers in the school.
On October 24, two school supervisors accompanied Gajadharsingh-Nanga to the school, but they were all denied entry.
They summoned the police to instruct the security guard to allow them entry. They also had to summon fire officers to break the locks of two doors to gain entry to the principal's office.
The next day, they returned again and were prevented from entering the compound. Sat Maharaj, accompanied by Transport Minister Devant Maharaj, then went to the Tunapuna Police Station to press charges against the principal, the two school supervisors and the police and the fire officers who had accompanied them to the school the previous day.
Chronology of events in the matter involving Sita Gajadharsingh-Nanga, principal, Tunapuna Hindu Primary School, and the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) board: June 17—Sita Gajadharsingh-Nanga writes to the Teaching Service Commission (TSC), requesting a transfer to a Government primary school and making numerous allegations about the SDMS board. August 10—Secretary-general of the SDMS Sat Maharaj writes to the TSC, supporting Gajadharsingh-Nanga's request for a transfer and making allegations against her. August 22—Memorandum from the TSC to the Ministry of Education, seeking the Ministry's comments/recommendations with respect to: • Gajadharsingh-Nanga's request for a transfer; • the issue raised by both Gajadharsingh-Nanga and Maharaj; • a report submitted by the School Supervisor lll, St George East Regional Education District. August 30—Memorandum from the Ministry of Education to the TSC, stating comments on issues raised by the Commission. September 2—Memorandum from School Supervisor lll Mr Deoraj to the Permanent Secretary, advising that Gajadharsingh-Nanga reported for duty at the school. September 2—Letter from SDMS secretary-general to Gajadharsingh-Nanga, advising her to report for duty at the St George East Education District. September 26—Memorandum from Director of Personal Administration to the Ministry of Education, requesting that the Permanent Secretary take steps to ensure the principal be allowed to carry out her duties at the school. Further, if there are any allegations of misconduct against Gajadharsingh-Nanga, the Permanent Secretary is required to investigate these allegations and inform the Commission of the results immediately on conclusion of the investigation. October 14—Letter from the Ministry of Education to SDMS secretary-general, confirming that unless Gajadharsingh-Nanga is transferred or otherwise directed by the TSC, the Ministry and the SDMS have no authority to debar her from reporting for duty at the Tunapuna Hindu Primary School. October 20—Letter from the TSC, dated October 20, 2011 (received by Ministry of Education on October 24), to the Ministry to conduct investigations into the matter. • Two school supervisors appointed by the Ministry to investigate the matter; • Reports given to Ministry on Friday, November 11; • Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, wrote to the TSC, through the Director of Personnel Administration (DPA), providing the report of the investigating officers on November 15, 2011. October 24—Gajadharsingh-Nanga, accompanied by School Supervisors lll and ll attached to the St George East Education District Office, went to the school but was blocked by security.